Experiments of the Heart
by Moon Bunny
Summary: After Ami and Mamoru discuss Mamoru's sensing when Usagi is in danger, they try to put the location sensing to the test.


**A/N.**.. I got jealous of all the fantastic fanfiction out there this week due to Usagi's birthday, and the tumblr celebration through mamousaweek. I just welcomed my first baby into the world at the beginning of June (she's adorbs) and so I haven't been writing fanfiction quite as much, I didn't have time to commit to the entirety MamoUsa week. BUT, I do have this piece, which has been sitting on my computer in a WIP (called Hatachi). I'm playing with that, and it may see the light of day eventually. Anyway, here is a snippet scene that can stand alone. Post Stars. Setting: After Ami and Mamoru discuss Mamoru's sensing when Usagi is in danger, they try to put the location sensing to the test. Apperently, the upload ATE MY ITALICS on an edit, and I had to fix it. I'm sorry for any weirdness.

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Usagi stood in the center of an empty warehouse blindfolded, listening as Ami and Mamoru whispered hushed noses.

"Guuuuuys!" Usagi whined, twirling around hear them blonde hair flinging outward.

Ami pushed her glasses up slightly with that little quirk she did when she was exasperated "Usagi, stop trying to pay attention, or we'll have to get you ear plugs as well."

"This cannot be a good idea! I can't seeeeeeeeeee!" After her twirl, she plopped down onto the concrete floor to decrease her sense of dizziness, fidgeting as she waited.

"That's the point, Usako. Your suppose to find me without your eyes. We're testing."

"Single blind study!" Ami giggled with a glance at Mamoru, who momentary paused to comment, and then didn't say anything back with a shake of his head.

Instead he walked over to the unsuspecting Usagi, now humming on the floor. "Think of it as practice for later" She grinned, lunging towards him from the ground grabbing his pants legs like a young child. "I found you!"

He shook his head, before placing a kiss on hers. "Now, stay _still_ for a minute."

She frowned, sat back on the floor humming, wiggling her feet waiting for Ami to proclaim they were ready, as Mamoru went and stood in the far corner of the room.

Ami tapped Usagi on the shoulder, "Okay, stand up."

She stood, and Ami spun her in circles, a little human top with blond streamers, Usagi almost stumbled, and Ami steadied her with her arms.

"Okay, point towards Mamoru, try to sense him."

Usagi tried to hear, and frowned as all she could hear was the faint tap tap of Ami's computer, and the incessant buzz of the warehouse lights. There was the traffic outside the thin walls, the sound of distant Tokyo trains. The thumping of her own heart. But nothing distinctly Mamoru.

"Your using your regular senses, try to _feel_ him," Ami coached.

"What does that even mean?" Usagi frowned, with an inpatient tap of her foot.

"Just try okay? Point to where you think he is."

Usagi felt as if she was just pointing randomly in the air, she spun for a moment and then she just pointed straight forward, at Mamoru leaning against the far wall. He smiled with a thumbs up. She pulled off the blindfold, not waiting for their verbal approval , "I got it!" She jumped up and down in exuberance. "That's cool!"

"That may have been coincidence. Time to try again."

"Ugh," She sat down, putting the blindfold back over her eyes. "This seems so stupid, but is so cool!"

Ami watched as Mamoru tiptoed up some stairs to hide on the second level of the warehouse, somehow managing to be silent as he did this. After a minute, he gave her a thumbs up. She went over, twirled the princess in a scientific manner and let her go.

"Hmmm" Usagi bit her lip, and felt a subtle tug at her heart, twirling and pointing exactly where he was standing, pulling off the blindfold.

"I did it AGAIN!" She squealed, jumping up and down. Mamoru jumped over the railing, landing without an issue and a grin. She ran over to him and gave him a big squeeze, he laughed giving her a quick kiss to her hair.

"Usako, can you tell us what you felt?"

She paused, looking at her feet and closing her eyes. She shook her head. "I don't have words for it...it's like a _tug_."

"A tug?"

"A little tingle, Like I just know its warm. I just know… YOUR TURN!" She held the blindfold up to his face, before dragging him to the center of the room. "You got to find me now."

"Not Yet," Ami paused, "Have you ever felt that before?"

Usagi shifted on her feet, before looking down, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Usagi?" Mamoru suddenly became concerned as Usagi lost all of her exerbence, and was caught in something much darker.

"I've felt it _break_." She whispered, looking at concrete floor, holding back the flood of emotion that wanted to spew forth, "When...when he died...when Galaxia took him, I felt it break. Like my heart was searching for something that was _gone._ Like a spinning compass…unable to find magnetism or something."

Usagi didn't say anything else, it trailing into silence as they processed their words. Their silence stung. She knew she rarely talked about that hellish year that was Galaxia, and the torrents of feelings that came with her secrecy and their deaths. How hard it had been. How alone she had been. How a void opened and she could feel herself searching the stars. Part of her strength and being had crumpled to dust, so much so she couldn't bare to say his name and believe the truth. But her soul had painfully, intrinsically known the second it had happened.

She remembered the months after chaos had been dispelled. The moments when she had clung to him wordlessly in the night, when she had sobbed and sobbed and felt so relieved. The days trying to throw herself into highschool with peace and normalcy, but hardly ever stopped obsessing over that moment, when everything snapped. She realized lost in her thoughts that she'd become calmer when she felt that pull, that she centered herself on it. That a part of her knew he was alive, and that when she couldn't see him it was her sanity. There were moments when she was afraid it would happen again, when she'd get caught up in a memory or a idea and suddenly the world would fall out from underneath her, but then she could close her eyes and breathe and feel the tug. And that she centered herself on that pull. That string that was taught and that he was right there, even when he wasn't physically next to her. He was alive, and he loved her.

"Actually, you need to try and find me." Ami interrupted Usagi's thoughts. Usagi nodded, momentary sadness forgotten, skipping towards the center of the room before plopping and putting back on the blindfold. "Fine, but hurry up and hide because I want to have fun!"

She tried with Ami, and failed five times. During the exercise, she was focused internally, all of a sudden she was so aware of Mamoru's presence, the little ways he moved and smiled. The way he spun her to find Ami, the way he carefully checked her blindfold to make sure she wasn't cheating, fingers lingering a second longer than necessary on her face. The calming presence that was as steady as the Earth itself. The strong hands and soft voice and her heart felt warm. With the blindfold on she could visualize it, a string of gold light, dancing from her to him, bouncing at their energy and exchanges.

She reached at it, and she felt _something_ that wasn't her mind, and she poked at it curiously.

"Hey!" He looked at her, and their eyes locked.

"You're hungry? Is that what I'm feeling?"

He looked down at his stomach accusingly. "I just had coffee this morning."

"I'm right? ...I'm right! Now you try to find me so we can get out of this place, and go eat okay?"

"We already know I can find you. I've done it many times."

"Oh... But I wanted to blindfold you."

Ami interjected before they could continue flirting, "Okay you two. Back on topic. What's this about hunger?"

"I pulled the tug, he's hungry." She stated confidently as if that was a coherent statement.

"Mamoru, do you know when she's hungry?"

"I'm an empath, remember? I spend time knowing way to much about way too many people. I live in Tokyo, and I try and tune everything I can out. But Usagi, yes, I can feel those things constantly. She works her way in anyway"

"How do you differentiate Usagi, from say me?"

"Your essence is different. Just like I can tell a tree from grass. It is like looking at the difference between a child and a man, I just see it. Unquestionably."

"What do you feel about me? Right now?"

"I'd rather not, honestly." He frowned. "I don't focus on it. I try not to feel unless it's important, or it radiates off of you because its so strong, then it is like a fire alarm in my head and I can't not notice. Usually, at that point most people project that sort of thing via other body language, so it isn't so obtrusive, like spying. It unnerves people."

"I'm fine with it."

He knew he wasn't going to get away without saying something. "Ami, you always feel really consistent. Like, your curious, and have this hum of water- all of you feel like your powers in a way- analytical, calm. Your focused. Your breathing is steady. "

"But anyone would know those things by just talking to me."

"Yeah, but…I can also tell you have to pee, that the back of your shoe is creating a blister on your heel. That you are doubtful in our powers, but curious. I can tell that you are slightly bored. That you are always bored."

"That's...intimate almost?"

"It is like I could be filled with other people. They can become indistinguishable from one another so quickly. It can hurt, and be so frighteningly loud."

"But what about Usagi?"

"She's…" He looked Usagi in the eyes. "She's like a lighthouse in turbulent seas. Everything else is dull compared to her. She's...I'd drown without her."

Usagi took in a sharp breath at his honesty, at the vulnerability of his powers that he so rarely showed. She kissed him then, softly on the lips, the warm tingle floating to her toes, and she realized, maybe for the first time how the tug between them glowed, how he could feel his body sing in response. It was an intense feedback for such a simple kiss, an incredible cacophony of desire, love, trust, honesty, warmth, and physical sensation. Somewhere in there she was reminded suddenly how uncomfortably hungry he was.

She laughed then, pulled away from the kiss, their connection dulling. "Seriously, you need to eat. Lets go."

Mamoru felt that this afternoon, after lunch would be time for them to explore each other. "Another day, Ami?"

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